, 1887-06-25
POWER OF OLD OCEAN
As seen by the Keeper of the High
land Light ON Cape Cod.

$50 go - NS
III 1890 Mr.. James Small sold TO the
general government ten acres Of land To-
Gated on the bluffs at the back side Of the
al known as the Highlands, and the
following year a wooden lighthouse, the
first on Cape Cod, was built on the spot
and called Cape Cod light. The building
was a crude affair, as was the light,
which consisted of twelve oil lamps with
r~eflectors, which. combined, threw a light
about eight or ten miles out at sea. With
the advance of science improvements
were from time to time made both in the
light and the building. The wooden
structure gave place to a stone tower,
and this was also followed in time by the
present structure, which is a substantial
tower of brick, situated in latitude 40
dogs. 2 minutes 81 seconds, longitude 70
degs. 3 minutes 19 seconds, on cliffs 140
feet above mean sea level in this section.
The lens is @ feet across and 10 feet
high, being large enough to allow a per-
son to stand erect inside, and with out
stretched arms just touch the opposite
sides. 1t Is of French manufacture,
made by L. Sautter g. Co., of Paris, in
1854, and was put in position in 1857.
It's cost was $50, 900. In the center or
focus of the lens Is a brass lamp of 10
gallons capacity. The burner is supplied
with oil through q supply tube and float
chamber containing a float to regulate
the flow of oil, supplying it as fast as
consumed. The oil is forced into the
float chamber by a plunger within the
lamp Of 100 pounds weight, made to fit
air tight. The bulk OF the oil is kept as
far from the burner as possible to prevent
heating. The burner has 8 wicks of cir
cular form, one within the others with
air spaces between, the outer wick being
4 1-2 inches in diameter; the o wicks
taken together measure 40 inches in
length, and the flame from which is car
ried to a height of 8 inches. The con-
sumption is 2 quarts Of first quality
mineral oil every hour. This oil is
strained four times before reaching the
burner.
The lamp is connected by draft pipe,
having a damper to regulate the flame,
with the external air through the top Of
the lantern, and is thereby dependent on
the activity of tho outer air and very
sensitive to every change in direction and
force of wind, and requires constant
tending.
Highland light is one of the most
prominent points of the American coast
and in full view of the c~oasting fleets as
they SO trooping past from the different
ports. Tho sight at times is a magnili-
cent one, as many as 600 vessels having
been counted passing in one day. With
tho coasters occasionally appears q for
eign tramp" steamer from the West
Indies, and from raj at sea comes the
square rigger from Europe or the far
East Indies, while away Of on the hori-
~Soa can DO seen tho smoke of the passing
ocean steamers to and from Europe.
This is the first Light maGo by the vessels
from foreign ports coming on this part of
tho coast.
Tho storms Gcoa By the light keepers
are often terrible pictures of the powers
OF old ocean. Tho hugo waves come roll
ing il twelve and fifteen feet high, and,
breaking on the bcrs, cover the water
with foam two end three miles from the
shore. The t~reacherou9 fogs often shut
II very Cuic,s, making it ct times impos-
siSlo 20 cce fifty ycrdo from tho shore.
Connected with tho LIGHT Is q Daboli
foe signal, which has been in operation
about fourteen years. Tho blast of the
trurlpetis OF ciGht seconds Duration, with
intervals Of thirty seconds between blasts,
and il supposed TO 10 heard ct o els.
tance of six miles.
The ciGnal is run BIZ the Ericsson
caloric engine. There a-c three engines
in tho Building, two horse power each
two being used q: q time, II requiring two
to accumulate pressure cs fest cs blown
OF, the third being Ee2: in reserve in case
of accident. These hot cir engines arc
much less dangerous end mors ccoaorl.
iccl in fuel consumed, using but twenty.
two pounds Of coal per hour, while C
steam fog signal ut Pace point uses cbout
three tire3 rs much in tho scme time.
This trumpet 10 O reed instrument, OF
copper, about twenty feet in length. The
reed 10 c solid piece of steel, about one
foot long, narrow and thin, and it il the
vibration of this reed, as cir under e high
pressure is thrown against it, that causes
the hoarso sound that is thrown over the
wild waves.
Many strange scenes have been wit
messed By tho keepers of this well known
light, and CHASTITY relics of shipwrecks
have been found along the shore. The
log book tells of the loss of many n good
ship; sometimes it is written ''all lost;''
mex, some have lived to tell the tale, and
next come tho cheerful words ''all
saved" Of tho ten acres originally
purchased about seven remain, a sure
proof of the ravages of old ocean. The
cliffs at this point are of q heavy clay
soil and wear away very slowly. Beach
grass has caught in along the foot of the
cliffs in places, and has done more than
all the money spent by the government
TO prevent the cliffs from washing away.
Beach grass grows well in sandy
places, and has proved n of the best OF
projections to Cape Cod. The gradual
waste away in this vicinity has been est.
mated to be about one foot per year,
while a. some other points the coast line
has increased. The tides along here are
something wonderful, sweeping down the
coast faster than a man can walk. q
The establishment of Cape Cod light
was followed, in 1916, by the fixed white
light on Race point. In 1923 by the
light on Mononomy point. In 1926 by
the fixed white light on Long point, al
the entrance of Providence harbor. The
three beacons at Nauset were established
in 1887, and the revolving red light on
Wood end in 1872. These constitute the
Gordon Of lights that guide the marinsI
along the back shore of Cape Cod.-Ba,
tow C1pIn